The word "chiropractic" combines the Greek words cheir (hand) and praxis (action) and means "done by hand." Chiropractic is an alternative medical system and takes a different approach from conventional medicine (practiced by Medical and Osteopathic Doctors) in diagnosing, classifying, and treating medical problems.  The basic concepts of chiropractic can be described as follows:

• The body has a powerful self-healing ability.
• The body's structure (primarily that of the spine) and its function are closely related, and this relationship affects health.
• Chiropractic therapy is given with the goals of normalizing this relationship between structure and function and assisting the body as it heals.

Chiropractic is a form of spinal manipulation, which is one of the oldest healing practices. Spinal manipulation was described by Hippocrates in ancient Greece. In 1895, Daniel David Palmer founded the modern profession of chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. Palmer was a self-taught healer and a student of healing philosophies of the day. He observed that the body has a natural healing ability that he believed was controlled by the nervous system. He also believed that subluxations, or misalignments of the spine (a concept that had already existed in the bonesetter and osteopathic traditions), interrupt or interfere with this "nerve flow." Palmer suggested that if an organ does not receive its normal supply of impulses from the nerves, it can become diseased. This line of thinking led him to develop a procedure to "adjust" the vertebrae, the bones of the spinal column, with the goal of correcting subluxations. 

Chiropractors practice a drug-free, manual approach to health care that includes patient assessment, diagnosis and treatment. In particular, chiropractors assess patients for disorders related to the spine, pelvis, extremity joints, and their effect in the nervous system.  In addition to manipulation, chiropractors employ a variety of other treatments including: soft tissue therapies (such as myofascial or trigger point therapy), physiotherapy modalities (such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation), therapeutic exercise, dispensing custom-made foot orthotics . Some chiropractors also use holistic therapies such as nutritional treatments, stress management, and herbal therapies. In any case, the appropriate treatments should be determined based upon your specific condition. 

Chiropractic is a regulated health profession recognized by statute in all Canadian provinces and American states. Canadian chiropractors undergo an intensive four-year, full-time course of study following three years of university before qualifying to undertake national examinations and become licensed to practice.

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